While Republicans still hold a registration advantage in Fresno County, you may be surprised to learn that Democrats have a slight edge in the city of Fresno. Here are the latest voter registration numbers from the Fresno County elections office:
City of Fresno
Total registered: 183,423.
Democrats: 78,970.
Republicans: 72,305.
Decline to state (independents): 24,642
Fresno County
Total registered: 350,369.
Republicans: 153,370.
Democrats140,507.
Decline to state (independents) 43,836.
(The remaining voters are scattered among the minor parties.)
But before the Fresno mayoral candidates begin changing their strategies about targeting Republican voters, remember that Republicans vote at a much higher rate than Democrats. That means GOP voters will probably out-number Democrats in the June 3 primary. But there are still plenty of Democratic voters, and they also need to be targeted by the candidates.
Besides, this is a non-partisan race. Why are the parties getting involved anyway?
So? What’s that have to do with the price of bananas? It’s a meaningless grouping of stats!
So if voter registration numbers are meaningless, why do politicians fight so hard to prevent reforming the redistricting process, which is based on the very numbers you say are meaningless? You must be happy with the gerrymandered legislative districts in California.
The terms, "Republican, Democrat, Independent" are meaningless to Californians. The R’s, the D’s, the I’s have all have undermined our Founder’s values. George Wallace was right, "there ain’t a dimes worth of difference between ‘em." They are all political chameleons. Stick Hillary, Obama, Nader & McCain in a bag and pull one out - it won’t make a difference who you grab.
Why do politicians fight so hard? Who knows? Any way you look at it, we’re going to get the same old thing. Nothing will change, nothing will get done. In it’s present condition California is ungovernable. Maybe the question we ought to be asking is - "Is it working?" No! Nobody wants to state the obvious - we are seriously fried!
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes... But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is [the people's] right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." - Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776.
So you're saying there's no difference between Fabian Nunez and Mike Villines.
No difference between John McCain and Barack Obama.
No difference between a president wanting to stay in Iraq and one wanting to withdraw.
No difference between maintaining the Bush tax cuts and eliminating them.
Jim:
Well said here...and let me make one more, albeit depressing point:
There are roughly 480,000 people living in the City of Fresno. Of that number, as you point out, 183,423 are registered to vote....that is 38.2% of the population.
Given that projections are ~30% of registered voters will participate June 3rd it looks like we will have turnout in the 55,027 range.
Let's assume the top two candidates, whoever they are, receive the exact same numbers as Autry and Whitehurst did in 2000...when there were 9 candidates running. Each received ~28% of the total vote...Autry was .5% ahead...so if we say the top two on June 3rd also receive 56% of the vote together than those folks will have made the runoff with 56% of 55,027, or 30,815 votes. This is exactly 6.4% of 480,000 people picking the folks to make the runoff....
In other words even the 'top' candidate on election day will only be able to say they have the literal support of only 3-4% of Fresnans.
How sad is that?
Differences between conservatives and liberals - certainly! Between the Demo & GOP? Marginal at best!
Mike’s pretty conservative; I’m conservative, but is my party (GOP)? Hardly! They have much more in common than differences.
Both parties are gung-ho over the dubious concept of global warming, both are adamantly anti-drilling; We can’t say that the GOP is pro-small government these days; In that they mirror the Demos. Has government expanded during Clinton & Bush administrations? Sure has. Lots of sameness there! How about NAFTA? Can’t tell the Dems and GOP apart on that one! The GOP has had their share of "Spitzers" these last few years - not much difference when it comes to morals.
Both parties are obsessed with getting into power and staying there. No difference there! How about immigration and control of one’s own border? Can’t see a difference there either!
Schwarzenegger may represent the future of the GOP. That’s scary! He’s Gray Davis in drag! After initially talking like a conservative, he implemented like Davis. Where’s the difference?
If there is a difference it’s only between the lesser of two evils.
Voter turnout will continue to decline as long as the people have no body worthy of the vote as it is now.
Maybe three elections in one season is the problem but wasn't it just like a week or month ago that Dr.Gail was cheering about making history with her vote or was that Nurse Lisa(I get them confused).Maybe the Bee is trying to torpedo the vote by telling us we don't care.An interesting statistic would be the party affilliations of Bee subscribers.I have my suspicions.Another thought...Why doesn't the Bee sponsor a Bloggers night at the Ballpark.We could all meet and make nice.The first round is on me!